Everyone in Japan knows the legend of Musashi, a warrior hero of the 17th century. Here his vibrant story is brought to life in this stunning epic drama with a star-studded cast. In retaliation to his abandonment by his overbearing father when he was a child, Musashi Miyamoto sets out to become a master swordsman. His real name is Takezo, but after fighting valiantly at the Battle of Sekigahara at the tender age of seventeen, he is bestowed the name "Musashi" and begins his search for the true way of the sword. Battling his way across the country, by the time he is 29 years old, he had fought and emerged undefeated in sixty battles. Although already unbeatable, Musashi continues his journey of combat toward the limits of his own ability. Many women are attracted to such a brash warrior, but truly a man of high standards, he settles only for his beloved Otsu, a childhood friend. They have a mutual understanding and respect for each other, which is the source of inspiration during Musashi's transitory journey. The only problem is that Otsu has been promised in marriage to someone else--Musashi's comrade, Matahachi. Determined to fight for the man she loves, Otsu flees her hometown and tries to follow Musashi across the country. However, several forces are working against them, maliciously conspiring to keep them apart. Can Musashi outwit his enemies, overcome double-crossing allies, and become recognized as the strongest warrior in the country? And will he ever be reunited with his true love, Otsu?

!!WARNING!!The review section may contain spoilers! Please understandthat you may find out about this drama's endings and plots!

1.

Simply incredible.. [Rating: 10/10]I must say that although i've missed about 7 episodes of this taiga drama, shame on me :P, I can most definitely say how breathtaking it was. Each episode left me craving for more and I loved them all. The storyline, I thought, was really wonderful. I can't think of any flaw that this drama displayed at all. Of course, the actors get credit for their stupendous high quality performance. Each character was portrayed very well, in my opinion. I don't want to spoil anything else for anyone who hasn't seen it, but I must say that it left me a one angry spectator. I was evidently begging for more when it had come to an end. Overall, after smacking myself a few times, i've come to a conclusion that despite my childish self, I was pretty satisfied. It was kind of a tearjerker though because i've seen these actors on this show for what..almost 2 years and now they are finally gone. I thought this show was pretty educational since i've heard about Musashi in my 7th grade World History class and knew almost nothing about him except for the obvious fact that he was one of the greatest swordsmen that ever lived. A true legend. Now that i'm in the 8th, they don't mention that kind of stuff anymore, heh. Figures.

Superior [Rating: 10/10]Based on the popular novel, it just doesn't get much better than this. You can quibble about details (e.g., the real Musashi was painfully ugly, not a hunk as shown here), but this drama captures the time and characters vividly. The real Musashi may have been a relatively obscure person, but his tale feels spot-on.

This series patches in the sketchy details on Musashi's life the best it can, making for a drama that captures the main events of the time, and enlarges upon its bigger than life personalities.

Best Taiga ever! [Rating: 10/10]I could not have liked it more. My all time favorite Taiga drama. Everything worked acting, directing, story line, cinematography, sound... I can't imagine anything that they could do to improve it other than extending it out longer. The end comes quickly and leaves you wanting to see the later part of the life of Musashi which is not a bad thing. As they say always leave them asking for more. I highly suggest this Taiga drama to anyone that has a chance to see it.

Taiga Dorama...Excellent [Rating: 10/10]Very interesting story, Great casting Ichikawa Shinnosuke, Tsustsumi Shinichi, Yonekura Ryoko, and of course Uchiyama Rina were all fantastic. The rest of the cast was also great. Combine the acting with the beautiful scenary and you can't ask for more than that.

Best Taiga ever. [Rating: 10/10]They could not have picked a better cast to play in this drama. I enjoyed every single episode. Musashi is one of the true great swordsmen so it is fitting that in my opinion NHK's best work to date was based on his life.

!!WARNING!!This section may contain spoilers! Do not proceed if youdo not want to read about this drama's endings and plots!

1.

Comments byoccultangle [Rating: 8/10]This being based on a novel leads to some interesting results. It makes for a more directed narrative story, which is overall very good, but on the other hand, it also comes off as clearly more fictional than a Taiga Drama should. This is very noticeable when watching the travelogues at the end, where everything they tell you about the real historical figure is completely unrelated to what you have been watching. It's rather weird, and it doesn't even feel like: so you saw this but it really happened like this, it's like there is two entirely different stories being told, about two totally different people.

When I think of Miyamoto Musashi, I think of the few things I knew about him; his duel with the Yoshioka school, and with Kojirou; and the general concepts of fighting with two swords, killing scores of people at the same time, bashing people's heads in with sticks, and just being an all around bad ass. And in these moments is where this drama is at it's best. Particularly at the beginning where the whole thing feels episodic, where it is like each episode is just another step in his journey and another master of martial arts has his head quickly bashed to death with a stick. The middle of the series is comparatively a bore. All this Matahachi trying to make money, Otsu trying to find Takezou, Musashi teaching kids to write(!?what?!). I usually have no interest in action, but when it comes to Miyamoto Musashi that's all there really should be. Though thankfully all the boringness pays off in the end with, let's call it, a "spiritually enlightened" bad ass, capable of calmly and confidently butchering people like flies. I just feel that overall it should have spent more of its time, in this very long series, showcasing the things it is best at.

2.

Comments byminochi99 [Rating: 10/10]An epic. Truly an epic. I loved every minute of Musashi. I ranked it one of the best Taiga doramas ever. Along with Mori Motonari and Toshiie to Matsu. The cast was wonderful. If you have the book Musashi from Yoshikawa, you'll be surprised at how faithful the drama stayed to the novel. The cast was superb and the ladies were beautiful. Ryoko Yonekura, Rina Uchiyama, and Nakama Yukie, sure made my viewing that much more enjoyable.

But the men really stoled the drama. I haven't seen Ichikawa Shinnosuke in any other dramas (heard he's a professional kabuki stage actor), but never a more passionate performance have I seen from an actor. He made Musashi memorable. From now on, when I think of Musashi, I will think of Shinnosuke. Tsutsumi Shinichi, one of my favorite characters, was hilarious as Matahachi. Here, the character strayed a little bit from the novel. But I still found him enjoyable. Like most great Taiga doramas, you need a ruthless tough guy, and it doesn't get badder than Masahiro as Sasaki Kojiro. He played the role to the tilt. Enjoyed his performance quite a bit.

Do I recommend this? Of course, but it's not for the faint hearted. I'm a big East Asian history fan, and Taiga doramas are usually 49-50 episodes. It got a little slow in the middle, but that's expected out of a drama so encompassing and vast. So, it takes a lot of investment in your time and commitment. Musashi is worth it. I guarantee you :-)

3.

Comments bylockdown12 [Rating: 10/10]The excellent Kyogen stage actor Ichikawa Shinnosuke stars as Miyamoto Musashi, arguably the most famous swordsman in Japanese history. Musashi was a ronin at a time of samurai elitism. He was a painter, author (Book of Five Rings), and is the named creator of the two sword style. Although the series romanticizes and twists plenty of unprovavble tales, the characters are mostly historically acurate.

Of course, I don't really care much about that. I just care that this is one of the best "taiga" dramas to come along in a while. The story centers mostly around Musashi's "journey," although this journey is defined through his personal relationships; the most important being that of him and his childhood friends, Otsu (Yonekura Ryoko) and Matahachi (Tsutsumi Shinichi). This series is a must see. Ichikawa is absolutely riveting as Musashi, and the supporting cast (led by Tsutsumi Shinichi as Matahachi) is fantastic. Entertainment at its finest.

4.

Comments byNermal [Rating: 9/10]A very good Taiga drama with a cast of incredible actors.

Ichikawa Shinnosuke (Ichikawa Ebizo since 2004), well known Kabuki acotr in Japan, has proved that he could perform just as well in front of a camera than he can in a theatre. As a kabuki actor, he can show his emotions very well in his face making his performance breathtaking.

While the pace of this drama is very slow, it will make you think about different things in life. It was a very enjoyable drama and I recommend it to anyone who likes Taiga dramas.

5.

Comments byyume [Rating: 8/10]I, at first, thought it was a boring story, until I couldn't change the channel one day because I was glued to it! Even though you always think Musashi is going to win, you find you might be wrong. I really got emotional when someone close to him died! It made the story realistic, so I definitely enjoyed it more. Everyone did a great job, of course.

6.

Comments byahochaude [Rating: 10/10]Still watching..........
.......Just watched.
A 10 without a doubt!!!!!!!! Incredible! Powerful! Captivating! Ichikawa Shinnosuke as Shinmen Takezo aka Miyamoto Musashi is untouchable in this drama. He pulls off such a great performance, that I felt as though I was actually watching the Great Miyamoto Musashi himself!

7.

Comments byLuVinEm [Rating: 10/10]one of my favo jdrama!!.. its just dat i like samurai movies :) ... didnt know he exist the legendary Miyamoto Musashi... very good movie!! like when they are fightin ^^' cast Ichikawa Shinnosuke, Tsutsumi Shinichi, Yonekura Ryoko, Uchiyama Rina and many more!! MUST SEE! if u love samurais and katana :P

8.

Comments bydarknitelight [Rating: 9/10]They really have to translate the titles of each episode better. The show is interesting thus far, but the swordplay needs more to it. The actor for Takezo is not bad, completely insane looking...Lots of good looks at religion and how people needed to live in those times.

9.

Comments bygaijinmark [Rating: 8/10]It does run too long, but I really liked this taiga. Everybody talks about Ichikawa as Musashi, and while I thought he was okay, I really liked Tsutsumi Shinichi as Matahachi, he was outstanding!! As with most taigas, the rest of the supporting cast was excellent as well.

10.

Comments bywilliu [Rating: 10/10]This drama is just so good. I can't find any flaws in it - sure, a couple of the 49 episodes may be a bit slow, but the rest is just fantastic. Ichikawa really BECOMES Musashi in all ways. Musashi is filled with so many stories that it never becomes boring. A must-see!

11.

Comments byogonbato [Rating: 9/10]a must watch for those who are miyamoto musashi fans, one of the best taiga dramas, it loses some points in my opinion after the last fight with ganryu sasaki kojiro, and i love matahachi great acting from Tsutsumi Shinichi very different from good luck!

12.

Comments bygroink [Rating: 10/10]This is a excellent taiga drama! It's LONG, but it's a must-watch. I could give a damn about who's starring in the series -- the story and the historical significance is important for all Japanese culture fans to know about.

13.

Comments byhikaruhana [Rating: 7/10]Excellent account of the life of Japan's legendary swordsman. If you've seen the Mifune movies, this fleshes out the stories far more and gives you a deeper sense of what Musashi was all about.

14.

Comments byhakaida [Rating: 10/10]I don't usually watch Japanese drama, but this one caught my interest. I guess it was the intriguing storyline and also it's true life based on this extraordinary person.

15.

Comments byjo [Rating: 5/10]Musashi is okay, just don't like the lead actor. Love all the actresses, REI MIYAZAWA, NAKAMA YUKIE, YONEKURA RYOKO, and the cute and sexy UCHIYAMA RINA

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Comments byharusamesarada [Rating: ?/10]Only watch a few episodes but as far as I can say, good acting (Ichikawa is a Kabuki actor) and it's a good adaptation from the novel.

17.

Comments byoldasianguy [Rating: 10/10]Good show....a bit long but I did enjoy every minute of it....the cast was full of some of my favorite actors and actresses....

ahochaudeA very powerful drama about the life of Shinmen Takezo aka Miyamoto Musashi. Ichikawa Shinnosuke did an excellent job as Miyamoto Musashi. I can see why The Book of 5 Rings is like the "essential manual" for business men and entrepreneurs in Japan just by watching this show. After watching this show, I immediately bought the Book of 5 Rings. Excellent!

2.

minochi99An epic and my absolute favorite. For those fortunate to have seen this, it has all the ingredients. Awesom, realistic fighting scenes, beautiful people and love story, and great acting by everyone. I never get tired of re-watching this series even though it's 49 episodes long! Definitely recommended tho hard to find/purchase.

3.

disenchantedloved this. tsutsumi shinichi is a very talented actor and i loved his acting as matahachi in this. best comic relief and best supporting role ever

recommended for samurai history fans. truly epic

4.

Ru-kuI already read the book and I like the story. The story of Musashi is really good. In this drama are many known actors as well.